12/16/2015

MaximumvoltagedroplimitElectricalInstallationGuide

Maximumvoltagedroplimit
FromElectricalInstallationGuide
Maximumallowablevoltagedropvaryfromonecountrytoanother.TypicalvaluesforLVinstallationsaregivenbelowinFigureG25.

Typeofinstallations

Lighting
circuits

Otheruses(heating
andpower)

AlowvoltageserviceconnectionfromaLVpublic
powerdistributionnetwork

3%

5%

ConsumersMV/LVsubstationsuppliedfroma
publicdistributionMVsystem

6%

8%

Fig.G25:Maximumvoltagedropbetweentheserviceconnectionpointandthepointofutilization(IEC60364552tableG.52.1)
Thesevoltagedroplimitsrefertonormalsteadystateoperatingconditionsanddonotapplyattimesofmotorstarting,simultaneousswitching(by
chance)ofseveralloads,etc.asmentionedinChapterASubclause4.3(diversityandutilizationfactors,etc.).Whenvoltagedropsexceedthevalues
showninFigureG25,largercables(wires)mustbeusedtocorrectthecondition.
Thevalueof8%,whilepermitted,canleadtoproblemsformotorloadsforexample:
Ingeneral,satisfactorymotorperformancerequiresavoltagewithin5%ofitsratednominalvalueinsteadystateoperation,
Startingcurrentofamotorcanbe5to7timesitsfullloadvalue(orevenhigher).Ifan8%voltagedropoccursatfullloadcurrent,thenadropof
40%ormorewilloccurduringstartup.Insuchconditionsthemotorwilleither:
Stall(i.e.remainstationaryduetoinsufficienttorquetoovercometheloadtorque)withconsequentoverheatingandeventualtripout
Oraccelerateveryslowly,sothattheheavycurrentloading(withpossiblyundesirablelowvoltageeffectsonotherequipment)willcontinuebeyond
thenormalstartupperiod
Finallyan8%voltagedroprepresentsacontinuouspowerloss,which,forcontinuousloadswillbeasignificantwasteof(metered)energy.For
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MaximumvoltagedroplimitElectricalInstallationGuide

thesereasonsitisrecommendedthatthemaximumvalueof8%insteadyoperatingconditionsshouldnotbereachedoncircuitswhichare
sensitivetoundervoltageproblems(seeFig.G26).
Fig.G26:Maximumvoltagedrop
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